Chapter 107

Shan Ming slowly opened his eyes, and it was pitch black around him. For a brief moment, Shan Ming thought that the act of “opening his eyes” was just a figment of his imagination or that he had gone blind.

His bones ached all over, and his skin felt like it had been searingly torn open, causing intense pain. His head was incredibly dizzy, making him feel like he was trapped in a dream. None of his sensations felt real at that moment.

Probably because he was unconscious in a certain position for too long, his limbs felt numb. As his senses gradually returned to him, he realized that there was something warm and cuddly embracing him by his side.

He quickly recalled what had happened before he lost consciousness. Tang Jingzhi had detonated the bomb, causing the entire laboratory to collapse, burying them alive. He reached out and touched, confirming that the person embracing him was indeed his son. Though he couldn’t see, he remembered the towering flames and the collapsing world around them. Shen Changze had carried him and tried to escape, but they were quickly struck by falling debris. He could still remember the warmth and solidity of Shen Changze’s dragon wings, enveloping his entire body before he slipped into unconsciousness.

“Changze, Changze,” Shan Ming nudged Shen Changze. The warmth still emanating from his body made Shan Ming believe in God from that very moment onward.

A soft groan reached his ears, and Shen Changze slowly opened his eyes. In the darkness, they could only see each other’s eyes.

“Dad?”

“You’re awake? How are you feeling?” Shan Ming tried to prop himself up but realized they were trapped in a narrow crevice, unable to sit up.

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Fbld Ubydtgl typrle qsa calyvb, “Pye, yal ol yzkhl?”

“Nssjp zkjl ol’al pvkzz yzkhl,” Fbyd Ykdt qlzv yaswde Fbld Ubydtgl’p cseu. “Zsw’hl alhlavle cynj vs uswa bwxyd qsax?”

“Yd, R esd’v byhl vbl pvaldtvb vs xykdvykd xu Paytsd Jzsse Ikd qsax yduxsal.”

“Eblal yal usw kdfwale? Uyd usw qllz kv?” Fbyd Ykdt ypjle. Kwpv yp bl qkdkpble prlyjkdt, bl vswnble psxlvbkdt eyxr sd Fbld Ubydtgl’p cynj. Tl caswtbv bkp ryzx vs bkp dspl yde pdkqqle. Gzvbswtb kv bye nsszle esod, kv oyp vbl pnldv sq czsse.

“Zsw’hl zspv iwkvl y ckv sq czsse,” Fbyd Ykdt lmnzykxle ydmkswpzu. Rdpvkdnvkhlzu, bl alynble qsa bkp cynjrynj, cwv vblal oyp dsvbkdt vblal. Ekvb talyv lqqsav, bl vwadle yaswde yde wple bkp bydep vs pnayrl yzsdt vbl taswde. Ohldvwyzzu, bl ekpnshlale vbyv bkp xkzkvyau rynj bye clld vsad srld cu vbl pvllz cyap, yde kvp nsdvldvp olal pnyvvlale yzz shla vbl rzynl. Tl qlzv psnjp, y ewpvrassq cyt, y vlxrlayvwal ekqqlaldvkyz oyvla nszzlnvsa, cwzzlvp, yde hyakswp svbla kvlxp, cwv bl nswzed’v qkde vbl qzypbzktbv sa xleknyz pwrrzklp bl oyp zssjkdt qsa.

“Eykv blal, R’zz ts plyanb shla vblal,” Fbyd Ykdt pyke, oydvkdt vs nayoz qwavbla yblye.

Fbld Ubydtgl tayccle bsze sq bkx. “Pye, esd’v xshl alnjzlppzu. Rq vbkp rzynl nszzyrplp, ol’al vawzu esdl qsa.”

Fbyd Ykdt alqaykdle qasx xshkdt, “Ebyv ycswv uswa cynjrynj?”

“I’ll look for it,” Shen Changze’s voice sounded noticeably weak. He stretched out his hand with great effort and finally found his backpack not far from him, “Found it.”

Shan Ming took the backpack and retrieved a flashlight from it. He turned it on, and both of them closed their eyes momentarily to adjust to the light. Then, they began to survey their surroundings.

At that time, Shen Changze initially intended to fly them out quickly. However, while they were halfway up the stairs, a large stone struck them, causing them to fall beneath the metal staircase. The staircase shielded them from several life-threatening boulders, otherwise, they would have been crushed to pulp. Unfortunately, the Dragon Blood Kin who had entered with them and the other human companion probably had no way to survive.

They were currently trapped between the deformed staircase and the wall, unsure of how long this temporarily safe corner would hold. Even though they were alive for now, there were thousands of pounds of heavy rocks pressing down on them from above. How will they find a way out?

Shan Ming didn’t waste time pondering this question. The most important thing for both of them was to survive the present situation. He quickly retrieved the first aid kit and used the flashlight to inspect Shen Changze’s body thoroughly, searching for any injuries beneath his torn clothing. He then carefully administered the available medication and bandaged him with the limited supply of gauze.

Thanks to Shen Changze’s protection, Shan Ming barely sustained any injuries. Even when the rocks came crashing down, it was Shen Changze who shielded him. As Shan Ming looked at the horrifying wounds on Shen Changze’s body, a wave of heartache washed over him.

Shen Changze had exerted too much energy and was unable to maintain his Dragon Blood Kin form. In his human state, his wounds healed more slowly, and as a result, his current condition was extremely poor. He appeared completely drained, as if all his energy had been sucked away. This left Shan Ming feeling deeply distressed.

Due to the limited space for movement, Shan Ming broke out in a sweat just from checking Shen Changze’s body. After treating Shen Changze’s wounds, he gathered all the food and water from their backpacks, using a flashlight to distribute these life-saving supplies. The food included some energy bars and compressed food, which, if consumed at the minimum caloric requirement for survival, would last the two of them for two weeks. However, the water supply was insufficient. In order to reduce weight, their water container was empty, with only a small amount of water left in their military vests, barely enough to last them three days. After running out of water, they would have to rely on urine for hydration. Shan Ming calculated that they could survive here for a maximum of ten days. After that, they would certainly fall into a state of unconsciousness. If no one came to rescue them before that, there would be no point in coming at all.

All they can do now is wait for the rescue.

Shan Ming broke off a large piece of chocolate energy bar and stuffed it into Shen Changze’s mouth. After he finished eating, Shan Ming inserted a straw into his mouth and said, “Drink some water.”

Shen Changze took a sip of water but didn’t drink too much. He asked, “How much food and water do we have left?”

“Don’t worry, we have enough. Right now, you need to regain your strength as soon as possible and let your wounds heal. We’re running low on medication, so you’ll have to rely on your own healing abilities.”

Shen Changze asked, “Have you eaten?”

“Yeah,” He quietly sipped a precious amount of water. The cold liquid flowed through his dry throat, bringing relief despite the slight burning sensation.

After eating, Shen Changze spoke with more strength, “Dad, don’t worry. I’m fine. The wounds may take a while to heal, but they won’t kill me. In a day or two, I’ll recover, and then I’ll find a way to get us out of here.”

“Let’s just wait for rescue,” Shan Ming replied. “Unless you’re Iron Man, I don’t think you can drill a hole from above.”

“We can’t just keep staying here.”

“You’re right. Once you regain enough strength, we’ll see if we can climb out. I can’t even sit up here, it’s too uncomfortable.” Shan Ming rolled over, feeling hungry and in pain. His body felt weak and sore, and darkness engulfed his vision. Even lifting his head could result in hitting it against something. Staying in this place for another day would be torture. Thankfully, Shen Changze was by his side.

Shen Changze propped himself up and slowly moved closer, pressing his upper body against Shan Ming’s. Then he let out a long sigh.

Shan Ming gently ran his fingers through Shen Changze’s short hair and whispered, “No matter what, we’re still alive. They’ll definitely come to rescue us.”

Shen Changze let out an “Mn”. In the darkness, he felt for Shan Ming’s lips and lightly kissed them. Then, in a low voice, he said, “I won’t die. I still haven’t fucked you yet. How can I die? And you can’t die either.”

If it were before, Shan Ming would have punched him after hearing those words. But now, he laughed, “That’s all you fucking think about…”

Shen Changze kissed him several times and hoarsely whispered, “I’ve wanted it for too long.”

The two of them rarely have such quiet and secluded moments, so they found themselves without the mood to fight or argue. They only engaged in conversations. Considering that they might not have the opportunity to see the sun again, Shen Changze’s abnormal infatuation with him didn’t seem so outrageous to him anymore. Shan Ming asked curiously, “Tell me, how did you develop feelings for me? I just can’t understand. Are you a masochist?”

Shen Changze smiled but didn’t provide an explanation.

He didn’t know how to describe his emotions to Shan Ming. He didn’t know the reason or the cause. All he knew was that from a young age, he had desired to control Shan Ming, just like how Shan Ming had dictated his entire life decisions. He wanted to possess this person, his only family, his dad.

Seeing Shen Changze’s silence, Shan Ming pursed his lips, “But I don’t like men.”

“What if doing it with a man is even more enjoyable than doing it with a woman?”

Shan Ming pondered for a moment. “No way right?”

“Just try it and you’ll find out.”

Shan Ming glanced at him. “Have you tried it?”

Shen Changze shook his head. “I simulated it in the lab to control my sexual impulses.”

Shan Ming chuckled. “Don’t tell me you’re still a little virgin.”

Shen Changze felt a bit embarrassed and hmphed, “I’m not as promiscuous as you.”

Shan Ming burst into laughter. “Nineteen years old and haven’t touched a woman yet. If they found out, they’d laugh to death. Why are you so timid? Are you really my son?”

Shen Changze angrily retorted, “Not everyone is like you, able to sleep with anyone they grab. The one I like is you, and I won’t sleep with anyone else.”

Shan Ming’s laughter paused for a moment, then grew even louder. Probably because Shen Changze’s “purity” was something he truly couldn’t comprehend. In his world, there was no concept of exclusiveness, whether it was body or heart.

Shen Changze’s face flushed with embarrassment from being mocked by Shan Ming. He became so angry that he bit Shan Ming’s lips and said angrily, “You dare to keep laughing! Let me tell you, I couldn’t stop you before, but from now on, don’t even think about touching anyone else.”

Shan Ming winced in pain and instinctively tried to raise his hand to hit Shen Changze, but when he raised his arm, it bumped into the stone instead, causing himself even more pain. He disdainfully said, “Are you crazy? Even animals randomly find a mate when they’re in heat. If humans are restrained from having sex, then they’re worse off than animals. What’s the point of living then?”

“You…” Shen Changze realized that they couldn’t communicate on this topic at all, and it frustrated him greatly.

Shan Ming nudged him. “Get down, you’re heavy. I can’t hold you anymore.”

Shen Changze grumpily replied, “My back hurts.”

Shan Ming remembered Shen Changze’s bloody back that had been hit by stones. He couldn’t bear to drive him off anymore. He really had no strength right now, and Shen Changze pressing down on him was making it hard for him to breathe. But he didn’t want Shen Changze to lie on the hard floor either. He gently touched Shen Changze’s head and said, “Fine then, you can sleep on top of me.”

Shen Changze said feeling stuffy, “I can’t sleep.”

Shan Ming sighed, “I can’t sleep either.” He lifted his wrist and glanced at his watch, which miraculously hadn’t broken yet. “We’ve been asleep for a whole day and night already.”

“They should be able to find us based on the GPS in our watches. Maybe they’re working on a rescue plan right now.”

Shan Ming said softly, “Finding people for the rescue, conducting reconnaissance, devising excavation plans… If a whole day and night have passed without any action, it’ll probably be a very difficult situation.”

After all, they were currently in a foreign land, having illegally crossed the border and stirred up the military forces of three major local powers. As foreign mercenaries who were bound to attract gunfire wherever they went, how could they find people locally to help them excavate the ruins?

A pile of thorny problems lays before them, and both of them knew deep down that their chances of escaping from this place were slim. The final outcome could very well be death from starvation or dehydration.

Shen Changze seemed to sense what his dad was thinking. He pressed his ears against Shan Ming’s chest, listening to the steady heartbeat. He whispered softly, “It’s okay. At least we can die together.”

Shan Ming responded with a quiet “Mn,” He held Shen Changze’s hand, and his heart in an unusually calm state.